BoxLunch novelty store opens with a cause in Belden Village Mall

Monday

JACKSON TWP. The newest retailer to open in Belden Village Mall has a mission that goes beyond making profits. The philanthropic retailer called BoxLunch works by its mantra of "Get Some. Give Back."

BoxLunch is a pop culture gift store that sells licensed shirts, accessories, collectibles, home goods and gift and novelty merchandise for those from the most dedicated fan to the casual pop culture enthusiast. The Belden Village store celebrated its grand opening on Nov. 11 and 12 with a DJ, give-aways and trivia games.

Store Manager Kristen Strakusek said there were 1,200 to 1,500 people who visited the store during the two days.

"We had a soft opening on Thursday with the grand opening on Saturday and Sunday," Strakusek said. "Think of us as a gift store with a purpose. For every $10 a customer spends, we donate one meal to the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank. We have about 100 stores across the U.S. and since the first store opened two years ago, the company has donated 11 million meals."

Strakusek said a few of the best sellers include Game of Thrones beer steins, a Nightmare Before Christmas pet bed and Funko Pop vinyl action type figures. BoxLunch also sells officially licensed Disney items, including shirts, necklaces and novelties.

"We are thrilled to bring BoxLunch to the Canton community. Our mission is simple, sell the best product and use our business to inspire and implement solutions to help fight the hunger crisis on both a local and national level," said Vice President and General Manager of Merchandising Robert Thomsen in a news release.

The Jackson Township store is the third in Ohio with one in Toledo and one in Cleveland. Strakusek said the company selected Belden Village because of it being a "family friendly mall."